Transcript

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>> Through the press and we can do it all together, right?>> Australia thrust into political crisis by a shocked decision to block its deputy prime minister from Parliament. The country's high court ruling found Barnaby Joyce ineligible to remain in office. The reason for the decision, Joyce's due citizenship legally barring him from serving in Parliament.

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>> I, may be a citizen by decent of New Zealand. Needless to say, I was shocked to receive this information.>> Joyce spoke out after the decision.>> I was born just there, just there. And I grew up over there. And I served in the nation's defense forces.

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And I had no reason to believe I was anything but Australian.>> Which means his boss, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has lost both the deputy and his one seat parliamentary majority.>> Well, congratulations.>> His center right coalition now finds itself in the perilous position of being a minority government, and must woo independent MPs to stay afloat.

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The prospect of political instability sent the Australian dollar tumbling. Joyce is one of seven politicians whose eligibility to sit in Parliament has been thrown into doubt recently. In total, five have been deemed unable to hold office. Joyce renounced his New Zealand citizenship in August. He now plans a return to power.

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>> We're after a bi-election and->> Responding to his disqualification, he remarked, it's a tough game, politics. It might get tougher. Joyce plans to retake his seat in an upcoming bi-election.>> Boy had given me and I will turn it in spite.